Costa Rican Stone Mace Head, circa 300 BC - AD 1200

Arthur N. Seiff, New York, acquired in the 1960s or early 1970s
Sotheby's, New York, May 16, 1989, lot 313, consigned by the above
The Merrin Gallery, New York, acquired at the above auction
American Private Collection, acquired from the above in 1989

Carlos A. Picón, ed., Ancient Forms for the Modern Eye, New York, 2018, p. 59, cat. no. XXVII

Stone mace heads of animals, human heads and abstract forms, were ceremonial weapons attached to wood clubs, used over many centuries in ancient Costa Rica and Peru. The stylized image of a human head is a frequently depicted type and may represent an idealized chief or clan leader.